Adewale Ajadi, a lawyer, creative consultant, and leadership expert, has released his new book 'Afrilition: 21st Century African Manifesto' on Amazon, dated July 14. The book presents a critical pathway towards African excellence, focusing on the authentic evolution of Africa's own possibilities and purposes rather than competition with other regions.
Ajadi explains that Afrilition is about the systemic realisation of Africa as a global community that exemplifies diversity and alignment. It is dedicated to those who willingly embrace Africanness, not as a prison or accident of circumstance, but as a positive identity. The book is a call to action for current and future generations to thrive intentionally beyond limitations.
The Concept of Afrilition
Ajadi traces the origin of the word 'Africa' to the Egyptian phrase 'Afru-ika' or Motherland, emphasizing Africa as the birthplace of humanity with the deepest ancestral lineages and largest genetic variations. He quotes the late US commentator Tony Brown: 'It is not what you’re called, but what you answer to, that matters.'
The author stresses that Africa must stop reacting to the deep pain of enslavement, colonialism, social and economic injustices, racism, and exploitation. Instead, it should prioritise the dream of the future over the nightmares of the past. He argues that Africa will lead the world in the 21st century, with projections indicating that two African countries will be among the top 10 largest economies globally, and Africa will house up to 50 per cent of the world's young people and about one-third of the global working population.
Inspiration and Vision
Ajadi reveals that the concept of Afrilition began in his teenage years at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) after a performance by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who urged the audience to 'prepare for the age of Aquarius, when Africa will rise in the next century.' This planted a seed for pattern observation and recognition in Ajadi.
The book is not about competing for world power or domination but about African evolution through its own volition, making a unique contribution to saving humanity from exploitation and destruction. Ajadi emphasises that the wisdom of Afrilition lies in dynamic practice for systemic change, guided by the spirit of the future as a province of vision and disciplined by prototypes with positive feedback loops.
Key Themes and Contributions
Afrilition prioritises the role of women, engages youth contributions, builds bridges across markets, and establishes education systems focused on learning and self-validation rather than subservience. It leverages diversity for prosperity and magnifies cooperation for collective and enlightened self-interest.
The book includes a foreword by Professor Funmilayo Olonisakin, a Pan-African scholar who pioneered the African Leadership Centre at King's College London. She provides a powerful expression of the book's spirit and letter. Other colleagues from across the African world have also commented on the book's resonance.
Ajadi concludes that Africans owe their posterity a deep willingness to sacrifice to realise potentials that have eluded them in recent centuries. He calls for designing originally, building intentionally, and growing distinctively to ensure prosperity for future generations. Over the next two generations, he urges resilience and adaptiveness to establish Afrilition as a manifest destination of African excellence.
